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My mom pushed out three of us and had rny in her lAter 40's. She lost over 150lbs and did have loose skin as the weight loss was fast but it all tightened up! She was lifting weights and using the elliptical and that helped a lot with the skin. She ended up looking too much weight and had to put on a couple pounds

I'm 54 and had twins girls my first pregnancy followed by my son who was 10 1/2 pounds. My stomach is shot. I've been overweight for 28 years. I knew I would have loose skin but my goal was to be healthy and I am. I lost 120 lbs - over half my body weight. I don't care about the loose skin on my arms and belly. If I can fix it w/help from my insurance I will. If not, I won't. I'm okay with that. Clothes fit okay and more importantly, I feel good. Best of luck to you! :-)

Same here. 3 wks post op as of today and the scale hasn't moved in a week. I've lost 30lbs (including the weight on liquid diet prior to surgery). I need to drink more and get my protein shakes in. I have no appetite and have to remember to eat just to eat. IT's ery disouraging but I hear it's normal and just keep at it and the scale will move again. Hang in there

I am so depressed because I have not lost weight in 1 1/2 weeks and still can not get food down, I know they say up you calories but I can barely get calories in less water, sometime I feel this was a waste of time.

I am 7 months out, down 91lbs since last Jan...but lately the scale has only moved up!! Not eating anything different...since 6mos dr visit have actually increased protein, doing more resistance and weights, and taking my vitamins...i have gained 4lbs...this freaks me out!!! I am self pay and feel like If I'm not losing I may have wasted a lot of money!! I'm scared that this is it and I have a lot more to lose!!! Really tempted to go back to my crash diet thinking to shake things up...help!!!

help !! monday i will be 3 weeks out ! i lost 15 lbs and was so happy. this week was bad i think i had a bug i was in the bathroom every time i ate or drank anything i am finally feeling better and gained 5 lbs back ?? whats wrong. please help super depressed

I reeaaallyyyy miss that strong restriction too. anyhoo, when I was about 5 out, I noticed I suddenly could eat more and my appetite was much stronger (boy, now I wish it was how it was at 5 months post op! Ha) but I stopped losing for a month. I didn't gain but I didn't lose. As hard as it was, and gosh was it hard, I went back to protein shakes for 2 weeks. Nothing but shakes. I don't know if I could do that now at over a year out, but at 5 months out the surgery was still new enough for me that I was able to hang in there and do it. From there I went on to achieve well below my goal weight. It was really a turning point for me. Maybe that's where you are. Give the shakes a shot! Good luck!

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ON CHAT. I HAD SLEEVE SURGERY ON 8.15.14. I HAVE ONLY LOST 50lbs. I HAVE BEEN MEASURING & WEIGHING ALL MY FOOD. I AVERAGE A WEIGHT LOSS OF 2-3 LBS A WEEK. I THINK I SHOULD HAVE LOST MORE THAN 50lLBS BY NOW. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS???

Overweight Shortens US Citizen's Lifespan and Costs Society Billions What many Americans eat and how little they exercise could wind up costing them – and American taxpayers – some serious money. Moreover, the overweight and obese may lose months from their lifespans.26-10-2007 Health care analysts predict an epidemic of weight-related diseases, as more baby boomers become senior citizens. A new study warns that the cost of treating such diseases through publicly funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid could increase significantly. “The changes in expenditures will be substantial,” said lead study author Zhou Yang, Ph.D. “Based on my current research, an elderly person who is overweight at 65 may spend $16,000 more and the obese person may spend $26,000 more than those who are a normal weight at age 65.” Given that 35 percent of the adults in the United States are overweight and another 30 percent are obese, the total extra cost of treating them could jump to hundreds of billions of dollars as they age, according to the study in the online issue of the journal Health Services Research. The study shows a direct relationship between body weight and cardiovascular disease, respiratory system disease, most forms of cancer and diabetes. Treatment costs were 6 percent higher in overweight men and 12.5 percent higher in obese men, while overweight women spent 10.7 percent more and obese women spent 16.8 percent more than normal-weight peers. Life expectancy for a man of normal weight is 76.1 years; for an overweight man it’s 75.9 and for an obese man, it’s 74.2. For a woman of normal weight, life expectancy is 74 years; for an overweight woman it’s 72.7 and for an obese woman it’s 71.6. To minimize additional financial burdens, prevention is critical, said Yang, an assistant professor at the College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida. “We must do a better job of informing the general public about the health risks associated with obesity and promote a healthy lifestyle.” According to Nancy Wellman, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and director of the National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Aging at Florida International University, the key to lowering these health risks is universal access to quality nutrition information. “Everyone should be able to check with a registered dietitian about diet and health lifestyle choices in order to prevent the worsening epidemic of obesity,” Wellman said. “We give a lot of lip service to prevention, but are not willing to pay much [even] when such a payoff can be huge.” Health Services Research is the official journal of AcademyHealth and is published by Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Health Research and Educational Trust. HSR is available online at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/hesr. Yang Z, Hall AG. The financial burdens of overweight and obesity among elderly Americans: the dynamics of weight, longevity, and health care cost. Health Services Research online, 2007. Source: Newswise Source: Health Behavior News Service It seems like you have similar issues as the UKLinks Buddy of the Week the kitten Website produced & maintained by USP Networks - All materials are Copyright 2006 © their respective owners - Terms & Conditions |

I weigh every day. It keeps me focused. and acts as a gentle daily reminder to file in the back of my head for the rest of the day. I found in past dieting that when I weighed daily, I did better....no kidding myself that having that piece of cake won't make that much difference....and most of the time, it is a positive reinforcer. The thing is, occasional weight gain is inevitable-- Water retention, body chemistry changes, whatever. I have had times when I am eating and taking in liquids perfectly (I keep daily track of all that), and I stay the same weight for days--then all of a sudden, I lose 2 lbs overnight! So please don't get discouraged about occasional weight gain...it's just that if it's on-going, that may take some re-evaluating. Please don't worry about the weight gain right after surgery. My doc said almost everyone does. Your body went through so much, including lots of gas, water retention, etc. You'll feel so much better about everything in a week or two. AND, if you are taking any pain meds, that means constipation! Best of luck to you! I think you will do great!

Hi, Cliff, I just noticed your sub-notes of all your dates and weights, and most importantly, your comment at the end, "this is going to be so hard!" So how has it been in retrospect? You might want to update your notes! Again, super congrats!

I was banded on Oct. 21 with Dr. Rich Pucci at the Oradell Ambulatory Surgery Center in Oradell NJ. Let me just say for anyone still considering the lapband in the NY/NJ area, please please please go see the Pucci brothers (there are three of them) and use this facility in Oradell. It was pristine!! I got such amazing attention and I you wouldnt even know I was being operated on. I felt like I had made some friends there :-) As for the Lapband, my name says it all. Most people dont know that I have the lapband. My spouse knows, my parents know and some of my close friends know, but that's it. I dont have a lot of supportive people in my life that would give me positive feedback if they knew that I chose WLS to assist in my weight loss decision. I'm a working mommy, which is challenging, but fun. I hope to get to know everyone and make some support buddies :-)

Down -3.3lbs this week. This after -.7 a week for months! What did I do differently? I stopped walking my treadmill for a week, I drank more Water (but still nowhere near 64 oz a day like recommended) and I didn't pay much attention to what I ate or how much. I tried to listen to my body and eat accordingly. Basically quit micro-managing. None of this makes a bit of sense to me, so just letting you know there isn't necessarily a RIGHT thing to do. This sleeve thing confounds me. Still not sure what I'll do for the next week aside from trying to keep my water intake up. Probably the same thing. I'm betting I'll have a gain next week, that's the way my body works. Keep on keeping on.

I have diabetes and was sleeved on March 18. My family doctor and endoc. both felt that this was a wonderful thing for me to do. It should not affect your liver or kidneys if they are functioning normally according to your bloodwork. My diabetic meds have been reduced and I have been told by doctors that the more weight you lose, the odds are in my favor to totally eliminate all diabetic meds. Hope all goes well!

Since you are working out at the gym, it helps make sure that more of what you lose is fat, and less is muscle. Someone who is working out can lose a lot more fat and a lot less muscle than someone who is not working out. That's one of the reasons why it's so important to not compare your weight loss to the weight loss of other people. Other people may be losing faster because they are losing muscle faster, but that's not healthy for you.

I am actually wondering if I am "done". Connie reminded me recently that the expectation for the sleeve is losing 60% of your excess weight. I knew the expectation, but hadn't thought about it recently. I did the math, and I AM at 60% loss. I'm not giving up yet, but that may well be the answer to my issue.

Hi everyone, I just joined in hopes to get some help. Over the past year, I have had several dr's tell me "why don't you get weight loss surgery?" I would just look at them and reply, I'm not rich! Finally, about a month ago my PCP mentioned it again. I snapped at her asking , so are you going to pay for it? She said, honey, your insurance covers it. So after a month of convincing my family I called horizon to confirm they actually cover it, and they do! However... They only list two doctors. And after reading reviews and experience from both, I do not feel comfortable with either one. One dr had 2 fatalities in one day and the other is not very experienced at all. I have called a few places and no one seems to accept this insurance I am in New Jersey, union county. Trying to stay away from Elizabeth Nj, to many bad experiences there. Car broken into on one occasion and mugged on another. If anyone in my area can help with a surgeon in my area I will forever be thankful! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi Brandi, The only thing I remember about tightening skin was from Weight Watchers that drinking skim milk would keep skin from getting flabby...hope that helps. Betty

Sorry for the delayed update, but I haven't been on the computer much since surgery. Here is how everything went: Surgery took longer than normal due to scar tissue in my belly. I have no idea why it was there as I have not had any other surgeries or injuries to that are. My recovery kind of sucked. Anesthesia and I don't get along very well and I am pretty sensitive to it. Apparently, I was pretty violent coming out of it and thrashing around. My surgery was over around 12:30pm and they didnt' allow family back until almost 2pm. I stil barely remember the fam coming back and was pretty groggy. I slept until 4-5pm when the nurses finally got me up enough so I could change into my sweats, pee, walk around a bit and hit the recliner they had in my room rather than the bed(the recliner was much better than the bed). I slept most of the night with various walking trips around the nurses station to help with the gas. I went home the next morning and just slept, walked around the house and sipped a lot for the next day. The gas is terrible and has to be the worst part of the recover processes. The nice thing was it pretty much was all gone by end of day two. I'm still pretty gassy, but I'm no longer bloated. Gas-X strips seems to help. I'm tolerating Water, Protein drinks, Vitamin water, zero, sf popsicles and the liquid tylenol and advil just fine. Due the Dr. Regimen of Liquid Tylenol and Liquid Advil, I've only taken one of the Oxycodone since I"ve been home. In fact, now that the gas is gone, there really isn't any pain at all unless I make a sudden move in the wrong direction. Each day gets better so hopefully I can start fitting enough in my sleeve to start hitting my protein numbers. I'm also down about 12lbs so far, which I'm sure is mostly water weight. I was feeling some regret the night after surgery and how bad the gas pain felt the day after, but once that nasty gas goes away, you feel like a whole new person. Smooth sailing now. I'm sill on full liquids for 2 weeks, then on to purrees.

My surgery is tomorrow morning 1/15 and I am a huge bundle of nerves right now. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous about something for so long. I haven't been sleeping much since I got my surgery date the week after Christmas Here's a little about me and my fat history: I was a little overweight in my childhood, but I was also a three sport athlete through high school(Football, wrestling and baseball), which helped keep me around 200lbs my senior year (5'11). I joined the Marines right after graduation and got down to 170 and maintained 170-190 for the 6 years I was in. I got out when I was 24 and finished up my last two years of college and got a desk job. That's when the weight started creeping up on me. Fast forward 12 years to 2010 after I had ballooned up to 340lbs, I decided to diet pretty hard and managed to lose 90lbs from 2010 to mid 2011. I was feeling pretty good about myself, but for some reason decided to sabotage it all and proceeded to put those 90lbs plus an extra 40 back on from late 2011 all the way to now. I decided I had had enough in June after years of yo-yo dieting and trying every diet in the book that it time for a change and looked into WLS. I considered the lap band at first for the usual reasons (not cutting up the insides), but after talking to another doctor and reading various forums about a lot of lap band removals, I decided on the sleeve. After spending six months on the insurance weight management plan for bariatric surgery, it's all happening really fast now. It's finally real. Anyway, this time tomorrow, my surgery should be finished and I'll probably be high on anesthesia/pain meds. I just need to keep telling myself that I'll be in the 99% of people that don't have complications.

During my pre-op nutritionist visits, we were taught that alcohol consumption essentially stalled any/all weight loss for 3-4 days after...so I simply felt it wasn't worth it after making the decision to have my VSG. I have an indulgence, though---sugar-free Torani Bourbon Caramel syrup...drinking just doesn't appeal to me anymore...not to mention, I'm not wanting to experience any hangover, nausea, etc, due to my drastically changed BMI and stomach size...I simply don't know what my new body can/ could handle...and don't care to test that.

mine is located under my right rib although every doc has there spot that they pick. If I am lying flat and I push firmly I can feel it otherwise I cant. I am sure you can feel it better after weight loss. It kinda feel like a ball under your skin maybe the size of one of those kids bouncy balls. It's there as long as your band is there. I figure if I am evey skinny enough for it to show I'll get a cool tattoo over it!

John, I do not think you sound like this is the lifestyle change you would like it is very different. Most of us really, really wanted it as we had tried everything and always gained it back. While you are researching, try it own your own again. You already workout so just step it up some cut back on food a little and give yourself like 6 months and see what you can change on your own. But we aren't getting any younger and you do not want to develop the things that change as we get older and are carrying around extra weight. Best wishes to you in making your choice. And if you do feel the need to get WLS it is not death sentence it is something you can get use to. But it does change the way you eat as long as you have the band. Cheri

Thank you. Yes I am excited about it. Can't wait to start loosing this weight

I would wait till tomorrow and call the doc back. U could try googling it to see if there is an answer, but u can't trust everything on the internet.... surgeversary 7/24/12, highest weight 267, surgery weight 262, current weight 209